Author: Phil Banks
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A Man Called Ove.
Recently, I have been reading the work of Susan Pinker and reflecting on her clear, humane insistence that the small, face-to-face interactions that make up our daily lives are not trivial niceties but biological necessities. Pinker asks us to notice how conversation, proximity and routine social contact shape cognition, health and resilience; she calls this…
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Belonging, Glass Ceilings, and the Quiet Architecture of Potential
We talk about belonging as though it’s always a good thing—warm, grounding, a place to rest your feet and your ideas. In schools, in workplaces, in our friendships, belonging is often presented as the ultimate form of safety. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: belonging can just as easily become a gatekeeper as a gift. It…
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The Rituals That Root Us.
There are days when the world moves too fast.When our minds spin, our feet hover above the ground, and the question returns — Where do I belong? Sometimes, the answer doesn’t come in words.It comes in the lighting of a candle.The pouring of tea.The kneeling down.The touching of earth.The passing of bread.A breath, taken in…
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Improving Attendance – more than just a statistic.
A Guest Blog from Olly Jefferies – Headteacher. USJ is a small primary school in the heart of a coastal town. Half of our families are in receipt of the Pupil Premium grant, 54% of pupils are on the SEND register, and 6% have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Each of these figures…
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Belonging in Primary Schools: Helping every child feel at home through our new school audit tool Welcome, Connect, Belong
A Guest Blog by Kelly Earnshaw Why belonging matters In primary schools, belonging is the bedrock of learning. These are the years when children take their first steps into education, form their earliest friendships and begin to see themselves as learners. If a child feels they don’t fit in—whether that’s being left out on the…
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When students feel like they belong, they are ready to learn and grow
A Guest Blog by Lisa Hanifan On a non-uniform day, Ilyan did not wear his street clothes like his peers; instead he proudly entered the classroom wearing his thobe. He didn’t just arrive that day; he showed up. And as he confidently made his way to his desk, he sat a bit taller and held…
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Children don’t behave for teachers they like, they behave for teachers they trust, and who trust them.
I have read a number of blogs recently, some by significant educational heavyweights, that equate relational behaviour management to ‘children only behaving for teachers that they like.’ This, overly simplistic and inaccurate view of relational behaviour management exemplifies a total misunderstanding of the deep and hard work that goes into relational behaviour management. In this…
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The Dog Who Learned Through Love.
A short fable about relational education. A puppy, beaten and neglected, was brought at last to a rescue home. Its body healed, but its heart still trembled at every sound. One day, a man came to adopt it. At first, he spoke kindly, but when the dog chewed his shoes through fear and confusion, the…
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Navigating the Seven C’s of Belonging
A framework for securing belonging in your school or classroom. A rising tide does not lift all boats. Some boats are full of holes, some have rotten timbers and others are rudderless, adrift in stormy seas. In order for the tide to be able to lift each boat and keep it afloat, the sailor must…
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Belonging- The Results Are In!
What does Belonging feel like for students and teachers? Over the last term, I have been working with a group of colleagues across a city to talk about Belonging and how we might harness it as a superpower to generate enhanced outcomes both educationally and in terms of wellbeing for our young people. We know…
The Belonging Collective 